The discovery of a hidden city under the sea by a group of scientists may provide the first concrete proof of the fabled lost continent, Sundaland. Along with more than 6,000 fossils from 36 species, including Komodo dragons and elephants, an estimated 140,000-year-old Homo erectus cranium was found during excavations in the Madura Strait off Indonesia.
Why This Discovery Is Unique
What makes this find even more unique is that it’s the first time fossils have been unearthed from the sunken parts of the Indonesian archipelago. Around 140,000 years ago, sea levels were much lower, and islands like Java were connected to the Asian mainland through a region known as Sundaland. This region was rich in grasslands, rivers, and wildlife.
Expert Insights On The Discovery
Harold Berghuis, an archaeologist at the University of Leiden in the Netherlands and lead investigator, said: “That period is characterized by great morphological diversity and mobility of hominin populations in the region.”
The Significance Of The Madura Strait Excavations
A major building project in the Madura Strait led to the 2011 discovery of the Homo erectus specimen. The location might be the first tangible proof of Sundaland, the lost landmass that originally united Southeast Asia in a huge tropical plain.
In addition to the skull, scientists discovered 6,000 animal fossils belonging to 36 different species, including elephants, buffalo, deer, and Komodo dragons.
The Origin Of Homo Erectus
Since Eurasia cannot be completely ruled out, Homo erectus most likely originated in Africa. The species appears to have spread rapidly, regardless of its initial evolutionary location, beginning around 1.9 million years ago (mya), close to the middle of the Pleistocene Epoch, and traveling across the African tropics, Europe, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.
A Brief History Of Homo Erectus Discoveries
Eugene Dubois, a Dutch army surgeon, started looking for ancient human bones on the island of Java (now in Indonesia) in 1890 and found the first fossils attributed to Homo erectus.
It is evident from the intentional cut marks on some of these fossils that early humans were using highly developed hunting skills in this now-submerged area.
The findings serve as a window into the discovery of a hidden 140,000-year-old city at the bottom of the ocean.
Turning Point In Undersea City Discoveries
An important turning point in paleoanthropology was reached when the fossils were first found by maritime sand miners in 2011, but their age and species have only just been established by researchers.
The skull was believed to have been laid to rest 140,000 years ago. As reported by the Daily Mail, it was preserved below layers of silt and sand in the Madura Strait, between the islands of Java and Madura, in Indonesia. Scientists claim that intentional cut marks on some of the animal bones demonstrate that early people were using hunting techniques.
Geological Changes That Submerged Sundaland
Between 14,000 and 7,000 years ago, sea levels rose due to melting glaciers, submerging Sundaland’s low-lying areas. Near Surabaya, workers discovered two pieces of human skull and more than 6,000 vertebrate fossils while mining sea sand.
Then, from the ancient Solo River, scientists found a system of buried valleys. They discovered evidence of a thriving river environment in the late Middle Pleistocene by analyzing the sediment layers.
Timeline Of Fossils And Formation
The fossils and the valley are thought to have been formed between 162,000 and 119,000 years ago, according to experts. This is Sundaland’s first underwater hominid fossil site.
Additionally, fossils of Stegodons—which resemble modern elephants—were found. These massive herbivorous creatures may reach heights of 13 feet and weigh over 10 tons.
It seems evident that underwater cities are the inspiration for the ancient Atlantis mythology, but because that riddle may already have been resolved, this finding deserves its own discussion.
The Future Of Underwater Archaeological Discoveries
Researchers hope to restore these old countries that have been drowned back into human history and discover more about the ancient civilizations that existed before us as underwater technology advances.
This chronology demonstrates how long before modern people ever set foot in the region, Homo erectus was able to survive there.
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